


Context

by amaronith



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, I wrote this in a day and it shows and I'm sorry, M/M, WidoFjord Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 04:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19244128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaronith/pseuds/amaronith
Summary: Sometimes, all you need is a little context.





	Context

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Widofjord Week 2019 Day 1: Pining/Fluff
> 
> Enjoy it, y'all!

Fjord didn't trust Essik Theylas. The fella was being real accommodating lately, what with giving them the house and teaching Caleb Dunamancy.

And _smiling_ at Fjord all the damn time. Not that Fjord paid particularly close attention to the Shadowhand's mouth, but it was unnerving and off-putting. Like how Avantika smiled at him.

Essik tilted his head at Fjord as he moved past, a mysterious smile curling subtly at the corners of his mouth, and Fjord fought to keep his own answering scowl off his face. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

_Shit._ "Oh, I like you just fine, Essik, I just don't trust you."

Essik's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and Fjord got the distinct feeling he was being messed with. "No?"

"It would be spectacularly foolish to blindly trust you. Foolish I may be sometimes, but not spectacularly so."

Essik drifted closer to Fjord, and Fjord regretted starting this conversation with his back already against the wall - it left him no route for escape. "That's unfortunate. I _really_ wish you would trust me."

Fjord gave Essik a tight smile. "Yeah, well, if wishes were fishes, no one would starve."

"Ah, a meal then! I'll come get you at seven o'clock this evening, and we can have a meal together. Master Widogast can tell you when." Essik rested his hand against Fjord's chest. "I look forward to us getting to know each other better, Fjord."

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Fjord's heart racing in his chest.

_What the actual fuck?_

Fjord stared at the floor for a long moment before hurrying into the library. "Caleb?"

Caleb looked up from his spell book, though he took one look at Fjord's face and frowned. "What happened, what is wrong? Is everyone all right?"

"I think I'm in trouble, actually?" And he felt foolish, to be so shaken.

"I have never seen you look so pale - sit, before you fall over. I will get Jester or Caduceus-"

" _No!_ " Fjord's hand darted out to clutch at Caleb's arm. "I'm not- I'm not hurt. Just. I'm not even sure _why_ I'm so scared. All he did was ask me to dinner."

Caleb frowned. "Who asked you to dinner?"

"Essik."

Caleb's face went blank. "And this scares you?"

"He, uh. He was pretty flirty. And didn't seem inclined to take no for an answer."

A dark look passed over Caleb's face. "Ah."

"And I don't think we can really afford to snub the left hand of the Bright Queen-"

Caleb reached over and took Fjord's hand in his own. "This is not another Avantika, Fjord. Even if it was, I would not let it happen that way again."

"But what if he wants something like that?" Fjord hated himself for how small his voice was. How weak and pathetic Caleb must think he is.

"Then we tell him you are unavailable."

Fjord looked up to meet Caleb's eyes, baffled. "What?"

"We tell him that you are not available, romantically."

That was certainly an idea. "Yeah, okay, sure, but how-?"

"He won't go after what is mine," Caleb interrupted him. "He knows I would not hesitate to cut a bitch."

_What?_ "Y-yours?"

"Sorry, we'd have to pretend to be together until we can leave Xhorhas for good, but - we are both older gentlemen, we do not need a loudly, constantly declared love." Caleb smiled at Fjord, keeping Fjord's hand between both of his own. "It will be all right, Fjord. You are charming, and we are both good liars. We can sell this."

Everything Fjord wanted, and none of it was real.

_Story of my goddamned life._

"We just need to inform the others that that's the plan, or they will blow it for us."

Caleb nodded. "Of course. Come, let us get some of Caduceus's tea into you before we call a house meeting. Settle your nerves."

Fjord swallowed. "I. Thanks, Caleb."

"Think nothing of it, _Bärchen_. You would do the same for me."

Fjord, feeling bolstered by Caleb's support, leaned in and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to Caleb's mouth. "In a heartbeat."

Caleb flushed, and kissed Fjord back, close-lipped but still soft and tender. "Well, there you go, then."

\--

"I can't believe Essik is such a creep!" Jester scowled, stabbing viciously at the pastry on her plate, some sort of rice flour cake that Caduceus was trying to perfect.

"It's just dinner, but-"

"Men like him, it's never _just_ anything," Beau said darkly. "First it's dinner, then it's getting you drunk, then it's 'helping' you back to his place-"

Something dark and unforgiving curled in Fjord's chest. "Did that happen to you, Beau?"

"What? Oh! No. But I know girls it's happened to. Chill, Fjord, we're focusing on you right now."

"Chill you in a minute," Fjord muttered nonsensically.

"In any case, our plan for now is-"

"Fjord lures Essik back to the house and we kill him!" Jester cheered around a mouthful of cake. "Oh, Caduceus, this came out really good!"

"I used rose flavored simple syrup, this time."

"I like it!"

Caleb sighed. "Can we focus, please?"

"Yeah, Fjord, focus," Nott said into her tea cup.

Fjord sighed, rubbing at his temples.

"The plan so far," Caleb said louder, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Is that Fjord and I are going to pretend to be romantically involved."

"Oh! Of course! And you and Essik are friendly - he knows you'll kill him if he tries anything!"

"I was hoping more for 'respects me enough not to try to steal my lover'."

Fjord grinned at Caleb. "The exact wording you used was 'would not hesitate to cut a bitch.'"

Caleb huffed, but ran his fingers through Fjord's hair with a smile. "Yes, well, you are worth it, _Bärchen_."

"Gaaaaaaaag," Beau said, making a face.

"The more you complain, the more lovey dovey we act, Beauregard," Caleb warned, and Jester giggled.

"Well if nothing else sells the relationship, that certainly will," Yeza said with a chuckle. 

Fjord glanced at Jester, who gave him a shrug right back. "Sounds legit."

"In any case, if anyone asks - do not volunteer this information first! - but if someone asks, Fjord and I have been together for months."

General agreement went up around the table, and Fjord couldn't stop his grin to Caleb.

The plan was going to work.

\--

Fjord got ready for supper, because he wasn't going to disrespect Essik by just going out in the same clothes he was wearing earlier, and paced nervously as he waited.

"Fjord, you need to calm down," Caleb said, turning a page in his book.

"I am calm. Look at me, I'm cool as a cucumber, I'm so damn calm!"

" _Bärchen._ " Caleb held his hand out, and Fjord walked over to take it, feeling better as their scars slid together and aligned as he sat down next to Caleb. "You are going to be all right. You know what to say, we have our cover story. I will kiss you in front of him if you need me to."

_What if I want you to kiss me, just because?_ Fjord almost asked, and instead pressed his lips to Caleb's knuckles. "I think I'd need all the help I can get, darlin'."

Caleb smiled at him, and went back to his book.

It was only when Essik arrived that Fjord realized Caleb never let go of his hand, and had been turning pages one-handed.

"Show time, sweetheart."

Caleb stood and lead Fjord to the front hall where Essik waited, stopping only when they were just in view of everyone.

"Have fun at supper, all right?" Caleb brushed at some invisible piece of lint and smoothed down Fjord's shirt.

"Y-yeah. You sure you don't wanna come with?"

Caleb chuckled. "I have some studying to do still, unfortunately."

Damn. Fjord brushed Caleb's hair back from his face. "All right. I'll see you tonight, Hearthfire."

Caleb flushed and leaned up to kiss Fjord, though this was different from before, open-mouthed and still sweet from the tea and cake they had eaten earlier. "Tonight," he echoed softly, though he seemed genuinely startled when Beau started to make dramatic gagging noises. "Oh, shut it, Beauregard."

Fjord turned to Essik with a smile that he hoped didn't look like a rictus of fear - Essik was very clearly dressed up, fancier than normal. Fjord wanted to run away.

(He wanted to go back to the library and kiss Caleb more, forget pretending to be and just _be_.)

"Well, you certainly clean up nicely, Fjord," Essik said, looking him up and down.

"Thank you kindly, Essik. You look nice tonight, too."

Caleb narrowed his eyes at Essik, then kissed Fjord's cheek. "Tonight, _Bärchen_."

Fjord couldn't stop himself, smiling helplessly at Caleb. "Yeah." Caleb nodded to Essik before walking out, and Fjord cleared his throat. "Ah, shall we?"

"Nothing would make me happier, Fjord." Essik smiled, and Fjord took a deep, calming breath.

They had a plan, he'd be fine.

\---

He was not fine.

The restaurant Essik brought him to was swanky - more so than anywhere Fjord had ever been, up to and including the Lavish Chateau - and he felt like he was being stared at. Maybe it was because he was with the Shadowhand, maybe because he was one of the few half-orcs there, maybe - and the idea was infinitely laughable to him - because he really did look just that damn good.

In the end, he hated the feeling, and fought not to pick at his tusks.

And then there was Essik himself, leaning in close over the smallish table to ask Fjord personal questions that Fjord wasn't all that keen on answering.

He just wanted the night to be over.

"So, how long have you and Caleb been together?"

_Finally._ This he knew what to do with.

"I mean-" Essik continued. "It can't possibly have been all that long."

"We got married a couple of months ago."

_What the fuck am I saying?_

Essik blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Married? I-I had no idea you two were-"

Fjord rubbed at his neck. "We're fairly private people, and it's not like we need to run around yelling ourselves hoarse about how in love we are." Fjord looked down at the scar on his hand. "But we were on the ocean, hunting for things I don't think any of us understood, and I just wondered what the hell I was waiting for. So I asked him for his hand, and he said yes."

_Aren't you curious?_

_I am always curious._

Essik was staring at him. "You got married on the ocean?"

"Mmhmm." Fjord showed him the scar on his hand. "We couldn't find rings."

"So you made a blood pact?"

"Yeah. I promised him always and I meant it."

"Then why agree to dinner with me?"

"Did I actually have that option?" Fjord asked, maybe a touch sharply. "You didn't exactly present it as a choice, and we're not exactly in such a solid political position that I can afford to turn down the Shadowhand to the Queen."

Essik sighed, running his finger over the rim of his glass. "I've put you in a terrible situation, haven't I?"

"I wouldn't call dinner with a friend a terrible situation. It just… Can't be more than that. I love Caleb, and my heart is his."

Essik shook his head with a smile. "You really are an amazing man, Fjord." He lifted his wine glass. "To dinner with a friend."

Fjord lifted his glass and gently clinked it against Essik's. "I'll drink to that."

\--

The rest of dinner went easier, after that, and they shook hands at the end of the night - Fjord being careful not to use the hand with the blood pact scar on it, because something in him wanted to keep that to himself.

It was supposed to be his wedding ring, after all.

Fjord walked into the house, closing the door behind himself and leaning against the wall with a sigh. "M'home."

"Fjooooord!" Jester called, practically skidding into the front hall with Nugget right behind her. "How was dinner? Are you okay? He didn't touch you, did he?"

"I think I got him off my back. Where's Caleb?"

Jester hugged him right. "Okay. He's in the library."

"Thanks." He kissed her temple. "I gotta talk to him. Catch you later."

"Okay."

Fjord hurried to the library for the second time that night, closing the door behind him maybe a bit too hard. "Caleb-"

"Welcome home, Fjord - did everything go according to plan?"

"Not. Exactly." Fjord took Caleb's hands in his own. "I told him we were married. That that's what the pact scar was."

Caleb blinked at him. "Married?"

"I mean. I promised you 'always' with it, it's not like he needed context." Fjord rubbed his thumbs against Caleb's palms. "You know, it's funny - I told him I didn't mind having dinner with a friend, but all I wanted was to be having dinner with you."

Caleb stared at the pact scars. "Fjord. Do you want to just get married?"

_Huh?_ "...like, actually married?"

Caleb nodded. "I know this is- very fast, very sudden, but I don't want this happening again and-"

"...so you want to marry me because you're jealous?"

Caleb hunched his shoulders. "No, but you're right, I'm being foolish."

Fjord kissed Caleb, letting go of his hands to cradle his jaw. "I promised you always. It doesn't need context."

Caleb nuzzled him back. "We should tell the others."

"Mm. In a minute." Fjord kissed him again. "I told him my heart was yours and I meant it. The best lie is the truth, after all."

Caleb licked his lips, clinging to Fjord's shoulders. "We'll tell the others in the morning."

"Yeah." Fjord backed Caleb up into his bedroom and closed the door behind them.

\--

With the shutting of Caleb's door, Nott dropped invisibility and performed the motions to cast Message. "Jester, mission accomplished - they've pulled their heads out of their asses. Tell Yasha she can deliver the payment to Essik. Youcanreplytothismessage."

"Good work, Nott - you should get out of there in case they get loud."

With one final look at Caleb's bedroom door, Nott crept out of the lab and closed the door behind her silently.

**Author's Note:**

> Bärchen - teddy bear


End file.
